The European Commission is considering setting up an age-based authentication system that limits where children can visit online. It says children are in danger of finding inappropriate material because ways to control where they can go are fragmented.
The system is part of a series of proposals Brussels has put forward to make the net safer for children.
In its draft proposals, the commission warns that neglecting protections for children could have a profound impact on European societies. Current child safety measures taken by member states covering parental controls, rating content and reporting illegal content are insufficient, according to the report. Many controls, such as filters for web pages, only work well for English, it says, and in some sectors – such as mobile apps – rating, filtering and control systems are almost non-existent.
The report also says there is a dearth of sites specifically aimed at children where they can go to learn and play, or ones which stimulate creativity and critical thinking.
More details of the proposals are expected to be published on the 30th of May.
